SAN FRANCISCO: In keeping with a long-standing goal of furthering educational opportunities for next-generation members of the professional audio industry, 121st AES Convention Student/Career Co-Chairs Dottie Kreps and Josh Tidsbury have developed a noteworthy program. Guiding young people towards their optimal educational and vocational training opportunities is a paramount AES concern, says Committee Chair John Strawn. Dottie Kreps and Josh Tidsbury have made an extraordinary effort to ensure that this Convention provides students with a significant resource for information, mentoring and networking.
In keeping with that mandate we are introducing three new events, Strawn adds: two panels, Should I Go To Graduate School and Inside The Job Interview: What To Expect, and, a Student Papers Competition.

FRIDAY, October 6, 8:30 am  10:30 am
EDUCATION FORUM PANEL - Designing an Audio Curriculum for the 21st Century: Moderator Jason Corey, University of Michigan and Panelists: John Scanlon, Ex'pression College for Digital Arts; Dave Moulton, Sausalito Audio Works / New England Institute of Art; Konrad Strauss, Indiana University; and Alex Case, University of Mass., will explore why audio education has become an increasingly popular degree choice over the past 20 years. Issues include the shifting job market for today's graduating student and the challenge for educators to create a viable curriculum to prepare students for the reality of the 21st century job market.

11:00 am  12:30 pm
M.S. or Ph.D. in EE/CS: SHOULD I GO TO GRADUATE SCHOOL? (New Event) Moderator: Rob Maher, Montana State University and Panelists: Brian Link, Dolby Laboratories; Dana Massie, Audience, Inc. and Ken Pohlmann, University of Miami will discuss the value of a Masters Degree or Ph.D. in the pursuit of an audio industry career in research and development. Attendees will gain solid, practical advice on whether or not to take the leap into graduate EE/CS education.

12:30 pm  2:00 pm
INSIDE THE JOB INTERVIEW: WHAT TO EXPECT: (New Event) Moderator John Strawn, S Systems Inc. - Larkspur, CA, and Panelists: Steve Berkley, Bias - Petaluma, CA; Viji Dos Santos, Dolby Laboratories - SF; and Kathleen Nieder and Jennifer Ratner, both of Shure - Niles, IL will focus on job candidates in electrical engineering and computer science who want to learn more about the job interview process. Moderator (and Convention Chair) John Strawn will provide the recruiter's perspective. Although the panel focus is on the interview, the Q&A is open to job search and career development questions.

4:00 pm  6:00 pm
CAREER FAIR: Several prominent companies from the exhibit floor will welcome students and professionals to visit with their representatives to learn about job and internship opportunities in the audio industry. Resumes are welcome.

SATURDAY, October 7, Please Check On Line Calendar www.aes.org
RECORDING COMPETITION  STEREO: The Student Recording Competition is an enduring convention highlight. A distinguished panel of judges will critique the interactive presentations of finalists of stereo and surround classical, jazz, folk, world and pop/rock categories. Meritorious awards will be presented at the closing Student Delegate Assembly Meeting on Sunday*.

9:00 am  10:30 am
DESIGN COMPETITION: An opportunity for students from any university or recording school to showcase their technical skills. Judges Dan Lavry, Lavry Engineering; John LaGrou, Millennia Music & Media Systems and David Josephson, Josephson Engineering, experts in design and manufacturing will evaluate actual design concepts and prototypes. Multiple prizes will be awarded.

12:00 pm  2:00 pm
EDUCATION FAIR: Institutions offering studies in audio (from short courses to graduate degrees) will be represented in a table top session. Information on each schools respective programs will be made available through displays and academic guidance. Admission is free and open to all convention attendees.

SUNDAY October 8, 11:00 am  12:30 pm
STUDENT DELEGATE ASSEMBLYPART 2: The closing meeting of the SDA will host the election of a new vice chair. Judges comments and awards will be presented for the Recording and Design Competitions. Plans for future student activities at local, regional, and international levels will be summarized and discussed.

STUDENT PAPERS AWARDS COMPETITION: (New Event)Papers Co-Chairs Rob Maher and Christopher J. Struck have administered a new AES Student Paper Award Competition designed to recognize student members who author technical papers. Based on preprint manuscripts accepted for the AES 121st Convention technical program, twenty-eight student-authored papers were nominated. Maher and Struck report that the outstanding quality of the submissions made the selection process both challenging and exhilarating. The award-winning student paper will be announced (and presented) during the Convention. The manuscript will also be published in the Journal of the Audio Engineering Society.

For further information on these events please check the AES Students website.
*Confirmed sponsors include: AEA, DigiDesign, Genelec, JBL, Millennia Music and Media Systems, Yamaha

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Formed in 1948 by a group of concerned audio engineers, the
Audio Engineering Society counts over 12,000 members throughout the
U.S., Latin America, Europe, Japan and the Far East. The AES serves as
the pivotal force in the exchange and dissemination of technical
information for the industry. For additional information on the AES
121st Convention please visit http://www.aes.org.